Animal-trap.



0. G. WOOD.

ANIMAL TRAP. APPLICATION FILED JAN. 10, 1914.

abtozucq Patented June 23, 1914:.

- Ul li Jet. LL41 eons o. Woon, or swine,

.ii in: ii. iii w WEEK-ASK .31., AQSIEGNGIR Tilt") Ii.

ANXM

ioness Specification 05 Letters Patent Jone 233 Heidi Application filedJanuary-1G, 1914. Serial Ito. $11,237.

To all whom it may concern Be itlrnovm that i, OGDA C. VOOD, citi-.

" 10 traps, and has for its object to provide a self and ever set trapwhich embodies novel features of construction Whereby the trap can notbe sprung until after the animal is in such a position that escape ispractically 015 impossible.

A. further object of the invention to provide a trap oi this characterwhich is simple and inexpensive in its construction,

I which can be employed eii'ectively for catch;

ing small animals such as rats, mice and the like, and which is lightand compact in de sign so as to be readily transported from place toplace.

With these and other objects in view, the

' invention consists in certain novel combinations and arrangements ofthe parts as Will i more fully appear as the description pro-- rce'eds,the novel features thereofbeing pointed out in the appended claims.

For a full understanding of the invention, reference is to be had to thefollowing description and accompanying drawing, in which Figure l is aperspective view of on ani- I mal trap constructed in accordance withthe invention. Fig, 2 is a longitudinal sectional view through the same,the position of the trap doors when closed being indicated by full linesand When swung down- 0 Wardly by dotted lines. Fig. 3 is an enlargedtransverse sectional view through the central portion of the trap, thenormal position of the trap doors being indicated by full lines and theposition thereof when re- 5 leasing the detents being indicated bydotted lines. Fig. l is an enlarged front elevation of one of the camdetents, end 5 is a side elevation of the some.

Corresponding and ii re ports a referred to in the following descriptiona indicated in all the views of the dre'vin-ss by the same referencecharacters.

Referring to the drawing which illustrates one embodiment of theinvention, the numeral l designates the box or casing of the Figs. 4

trap. An inclined runway 2 leads to the top of the box tr in one endthereof, and e pair of t ap doors 3 and i are erongel Within the top ofthe box or casing 1 so to normally close the same. These trsj doors areidentical in construction, being pivoted point s'niced t ek the outerends tlierec s53 indicated o, and being a ei hts G which normally tendto Stops i at opposite ends of the easto limit the swii hg movement istrap in one direction, While project inwardly from the sides of orcasing It serve to wit the SW1 7 .znoveinent of the trap doors in theopposite @pposite sides of box or casing lore recessed at 9 adjacent theswinging. edges of the trap doors and also provided at this point withthe upward extensions or eers l0, .aid ears being provided with'suitablerecesses 11 within which the bait is placed. Mounted Within each of therecesses 9 is a cam detent 12, the said detents being pivoft oted attheir upper ends as indicated at 13' so as to normally be swung bythe-action of gravity into operative position. The inward S'WlI figmovement of the detents i2 is limited by engagement of ears 1% at thelower extremities thereof with an aim}- ment 15.

The detents 12 are shown in detail by and 5 and it will he observed thateach of the detents is formed upon one side thereof with a cam 12 andupon the opposite side with an upwardly 12; the dividing line between.the cam 12 and the. shoulder 12" being directlyvopposite the dividingline bet'iveen the swinging" edges of the trap doors '3 and 4. The twocam detents 12 are oppositely positioned so that the shoulders 12* ofone of the detents is normolly swung under the trap door 3 to hold thesome in. e. raised position While the shoulder 12" of the oppositedetent is non malty swung under the opposite trap door t to also holdthe same in a raised position. The swinging edges of the trap doors arenormally held slightly above the shoulders 12 by means of thecounterweights 6, although the Weight of the aninialupon either of thetrap doors will swing the same against the shoulder 12 of; one of thecoin npivzn dly into closed pofacing shoulder their outer or remote endswith r detents 12, at the same time causing the edge of the trap door toengage the cam portion 12 of the opposite detent so as to swing the sameinto inoperative position and move the shoulder 12 thereof away fromunder the swinging edge of the other trap door. As soon, however, as theanimal reaches the center of the trap and causes any Weight to bear uponthe .other trap door, the initial downward movement of this other trapdoor would engage the cam portion 12 .of the first cam detent so as toalso move the same into an inoperative position. Both cam detents beingthen inoperative, the two ap doors would swing downwardly simultaneouslyand drop the animal into the interior of the casing 1. Thecounter-weights 6 would immediately swing the trap doors again into aclosed position so as to reset the trap and prevent escape of the animaljust dropped into the same. The animal may beheld within the casing 1,although it is preferred to provide a passage such as that indicated at18 for leading the animal to a second trap box or container 19, therebygetting the animal away from the trap so that it will. not frighten awayother animals or possibly escape when the trap doors are next actuated.Aswinging trap door 2(1 of any conventional construction may be providedat the discharge end of the pa :sage 18, and any suitable removablecover .1 may be provided for the second trap b0 r 19.

Referring to Fig. 2, an animal attempting to get the bait within therecesses 11 would naturally reach the top of the box'or easing 1 bymeans of the runway 2. It would first walk upon the trap door 3, therebymoving the swinging edge of the said trap door 3 into engagement withthe shoulder 12 of one of the cam detents 12, and at the same timecausing the swinging edge of the trap' door- 3 to engage the cam portion12 of the opposite cam detent so as to swing the same intoinoperativeposition and release 'the trap door 4. In getting the bait a portion ofthe animals body would inevitably be brought to bear upon the'trap door4 and the initi'al downward movement thereof would act upon the camportion 12 of the first detent to swing the same into inoperativeposition and thereby release the trap door 8. With both trap doorsreleased the animal would be dropped into the casing.

It is preferred to provide the runway 2 with a longitudinal groove 22 toreceive a small amount of bait, although this groove is covered withWire netting 23 or the like to prevent the animal from getting the same.In a similar manner the end of the box may.be provided with a baitgroove and covered by a screen 24:. The bait in these grooves serves toattract the animal, although the only bait which is open and accessibleis that within the recesses 11 of" the upward extensions 1O.v v

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Let-.

ters Patent, is

1. An animal trap including a casmghaving an open top and provided uponopposite,

respective trap vdoors, and a cam member upon each of the gravitydetents, the said cam members being arranged in the paths of theopposite trap doors so that the initial movement of either trap doorwill release the detent of the opposite trap door.

2. An animal trap including a casing having an open top and providedupon opposite sides thereof with recessed portions and with upwardlyprojecting ears constructed to receive bait, a pair of trap doorsnormally closing the top of the casing and meeting adjacent the recessedportions of the casing, gravity detents mounted within the recessedportions of the casing and engaging the respective trap doorsto supportthe same in a closed position, and a cam member upon each of the detentsand arranged within the path of the opposite trap door so that theinitial downward movement of either trap door Will release the detent ofthe opposite trap door.

In testimony whereof I atlix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

OGDA o. WOOD. Witnesses TM. H. GRAVER, F. R. BIGNOLD.

